“What marks whether you're going to be successful is how well you deal with the bad days, not the good ones.” Condoleezza Rice
And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian. And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand. Genesis 39:2-3
Progress: “forward or onward movement toward a destination” New Oxford American Dictionary
Joseph is a pivotal character in the saga of Judaism and Christianity. He was the catalyst in transforming the tribe of Abraham into Israelites. And he is known for his successes in everything he did. Whether it was as the head of Potiphar's household, the head of an Egyptian jail as a prisoner, or the head of Egypt's infrastructure as its prime minister. Records of him can be read in the Old Testament and in Egyptian hieroglyphs. He was truly a great and successful man, a man of significance. However, Joseph did not succeed the way many think people succeed. He achieved all his successes through hardships. The day when he was thrown into a pit by his brothers, to be sold as a slave to traveling traders could not have been a good day. And the day he was thrown in jail after being falsely accused of trying to rape Potiphar's wife could not have been a good day. But Joseph persevered through those bad days and stayed true to his purpose, God's purpose for him. Because Joseph was unwavering in his purpose, the bad days he endured were actually what put him in a position to succeed. He would have never interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams if he had not been falsely accused of rape and thrown in jail. He would have never become the prime minister of Egypt if his own brothers hadn't sold him. And none of that would have mattered if he didn't hold fast to the purpose God had for him. So let's remember Joseph on those days that aren't going so well. Chances are, he went through much more than most of us ever will. Yet he found success through his hardships. And so can we, if we choose to be true to our purpose and the purpose God has for us.
Daily Journaling Questions:
How did I help someone in kindness today?
What did I learn today?
What am I thankful for?
Who did I love today?
What am I dreaming for?
What about today do I want to remember forever?
What are my goals for tomorrow?
Thanks for reading.
Jake
